Plain Local to realign schools, eliminate K-only buildings

Thursday

Jan 27, 2011 at 12:01 AMJan 27, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Building assignments will change next fall in the Plain Local school district, as the district looks for ways to cope with anticipated funding cuts. The district says these building changes will save about $800,000 a year.

Building assignments will change next fall in the Plain Local school district, as the district looks for ways to cope with anticipated funding cuts.

Plain Schools Superintendent Brent May announces changes to district
Video provided by Plain Local Schools

Plain’s Board of Education voted Wednesday to move kindergarten classes into elementary schools, create an intermediate school of grades 5 and 6, and have only one middle school for grades 7 and 8.

The district’s two kindergarten centers will go “offline” and be leased by the Stark County Educational Service Center. Plain Center school will become home for the Portage Collaborative Montessori School. Day school will house Plain’s preschool programs and be available for other districts to set up preschool classes.

Changes are being made because the district will lose $2.1 million in federal funding when the 2011-12 school year begins. School officials are worried Plain will lose another $1.5 million in state funding.

Projected cuts of $3.6 million are the best scenario, Superintendent Brent May said. School officials worry state cuts will exceed the projected $1.5 million.

Building changes should save $800,000 per year, May said. The district will gain revenue by leasing the Plain Center and Day buildings. It should see another $500,000 in savings by reducing utility costs.

“We’re trying to be responsible to our community,” May said. “We’re also being responsible to the current economic climate.”

COMMUNITY INPUT

The changes come after several months of work and discussions with residents. Plain officials had two community meetings and met with several community groups. Surveys were sent to residents and posted on the district’s website.

Survey results showed that 70.5 percent of respondents supported moving kindergarten classes into the elementary schools, while 75.5 percent supported creating a separate building for fifth and sixth graders, and 76.7 percent supported a separate building for seventh and eighth graders.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Plain has used at two middle schools since 1960 with the Taft building opened and joined Middlebranch. When classes for the 2006-2007 school year started, Taft and Middlebranch became elementary schools, while the two former GlenOak High School buildings became Glenwood and Oakwood middle schools.

But with two middle schools the district split students and classroom programs between buildings. Placing entire classes under one roof allows Plain to combine some specialized instruction — foreign language and music classes, for example. The district can stop duplicating services and make better use of staff, May said.

The change also should help build district unity, May said, by placing all students from one grade in the same building at grade five. The change will put student athletes together, but steps will be taken to give middle school students the same opportunities in sports programs, May said.

Plain last aligned its buildings when the new high school building opened. At that time, the district said it would review operations every three to five years.

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